Occupational Therapy and Ergonomics:
I received my OT education at Saint Louis University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and graduated with my degree in Occupational Therapy in 1999. I have worked in the Seattle area since that time.
I completed clinical internships at the University of Washington Medical Center in the inpatient medical psychiatry unit and at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago with a focus on complex spinal cord injuries, upper extremity amputations, and orthopedics.
I have been board-certified as an OT since 1999 through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and am a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
In addition to ongoing professional continuing education on a variety of therapy-related topics since 1999, I received training in the USC Lifestyle Redesign treatment method through their continuing education series for experienced OT’s.
I have been providing a variety of employer-based services since 2000. This has included ergonomic assessments, injury prevention and body mechanics classes, pre-employment/post-offer testing design and administration, and functional capacity/return to work exams.
Prior to starting Blue Water Ergonomics in 2005, I had the opportunity to work with clients in a wide variety of industries throughout Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. Since going in to private practice, I have focused on providing cost-effective ergonomic solutions to Washington-based clients in a variety of industries. I enjoy providing proactive/early intervention services for injury prevention, but as an OT, I also like the challenge of helping to resolve complicated medical claims and providing disability accommodations to allow clients to return to work.
My clinical experience as an OT includes Work Conditioning and Work Hardening, Multi-Disciplinary Pain Management, Pre-Employment/Post-Offer Test design and administration, and Physical Capacity Evaluations.
Health Coaching:
I became an ACE-Certified Health Coach through the American Council on Exercise in 2014 and participate regularly in continuing education related to health behavior change, weight loss, and nutrition.
Plant-Based Nutrition:
I have pursued the following nutrition-focused education and certifications:
- Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell, 2013
- Certification as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), 2013
- Certification as a Food for Life Instructor for the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), 2014
- Plant-Based Professional Certification through the Rouxbe Cooking School, 2015